Machine for sewing or quilting fabrics



' (No Model.)

3 S he ets-Sheet 1. W. H. PALMER. Jr.

- MACHINE FOR SEWING OK No. 308,982.

QUILTING FABRICS.

Patented Dec. 9, 1884.

(No Model.) v 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

W. H. PALMER, Jr. MACHINE FOR SEWING'OR QUILTING FABRICS. No. 308,982.

Patented Dec. 9, 1884.

Ja e/2hr m Wt/zasses I n. ac.

(No Model.) 3 SheetsSh.eet 3.

W. H. PALMER, J1".

MAGHINB FOR SEWING 0R QUILTING FABRICS. No. 308,982. r r Patented Dec. 9, 1884.

MMW v N PETERS. Pllab-Llllwgmpller. Washmgmn. n c.

Curran Starts Artur Creme.

WVILLIAM H. PALMER, JR, OF MIDDLETOYVN, ASSIGNOR TO FRANK L.

PALMER, OF NEW LONDON, CONNECTICUT.

hilACl-HNE FOR SEWING OR QUILTING FABRICS.

'BFECIFICATEQN forming part of Letters Patent No. 308,982, dated December 9, 1884.

Application filed February 9, 1884. (No model.)

To (LZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM H. PALMER, Jr., of Middletown, in the county of Middlesex and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Machines for Sewing or Quilting Fabrics, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is applicable more particu' fabric to be sewed or quilted is supported,-

preferably in a stretched or extended condition.

An important object of my invention is to provide a machine comprising a fabric holder or support, a sewing-machine for operating on a fabric held in or by said holder or support, movable supports for the sewing-machine constructed and arranged to permit a universal movement of the sewing-machine, and mechanism for producing and controlling the bodily movement of the sewing-machine and for rotating the operating-shaft of the machine dur ing its bodily movement, which machine, as a whole, shall be better adapted than the ma chines heretofore in use for quilting bed-comfortables and other large pieces of work in designs which are appropriate to their shape.

Theinvention consists in various novelcombinations of parts hereinafter described, and referred to in the claims.

In order that the invention may be more clearly understood, I will first give a brief deseription of the principal parts of a machine which I have chosen to illustrate the invention. As before stated, the fabric to be sewed or quilted is or may be extended on a fabricframe, and the sewingmachine has an arm of sufficient length to'enable the needle to operate on any part of the fabric which it is desired to sew or quilt. Two carriages are employed,

which are movable in directions transverse to each other, and one of which is movable upon the other, and the sewing-machine is rigidly secured to the upper or second carriage, so that it is moved bodily therewith. The lower carriage consists, by preference, of a horizon- 5 5 tal beam or stretcher, which is provided at opposite ends with wheels adapted totravel or move on parallel tracks extending in a direction at right angles to the length of said beam or stretcher, and the upper or second carriage consists of frames or supports, to which the sewing-machine is rigidly attached, and which are provided with wheels or rollers arranged to travel along the horizontal beam or stretcher of the first or lower carriage. 6 5 The second or upper carriage is provided with bearings, wherein is fitted a vertical shaft, which extends downward and carries a pinion or wheel, which engages with a pattern con sisting of a rackor track arranged below the first or lower carriage, and by a rotary move ment imparted to said upright shaft and wheel the latter is caused to move along or follow the pattern, and the two carriages and the sewingmachine are moved and guided by the travel- 7 5 ing movement of said vertical shaft along the pattern. The needle of the sewing-machine will also follow the movement ofsaid vertical shaft, and the design of the pattern will be reproduced in lines of stitching or quilting upon 8 the fabric. W hen the movement of said vertical shaft is in a direction parallel with the horizontal beam or stretcher of the first or lower carriage, then the second or upper can riage and superposed sewing-machine will 8;- move along the said beam or stretcher and the first carriage will remain stationary. \Vhen the movement of said shaft is in a direction at right angles to the length of said beam or stretcher, the second or upper carriage will 0 remain stationary as regards the first carriage, and the first carriage will be moved, carrying with it the second carriage and its superposed machine. Then the movement of said shaft is in a direction oblique to the .said beam or 5 stretcher of the first carriage, both carriages will receive movement therefrom,and the sewing-maehine will receive the universal movement imparted to the second'carriage. The

second or upper carriage has its movements r00 controlled by the pattern, and the lower carriage is capable of free movement in either direction, to permit a universal movement of the second carriage and sewing-machine.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved machine. Fig. 2 is a plan of the principal portion thereof. Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the dotted line a: 00, Fig. 1. Fig. 4. is a diagram illustrating a part of the means employed for transmitting movement to the operating-shaft of the sewing-machine during its bodily move ments, and Fig. 5 is a detail view upon a larger scale of a part of the mechanism shown in Fig. -Similar letters of reference designate corresp'onding parts in all the figures. v 7

The first or lower carriage, as here shown, consists of a horizontal beamor stretcher, A, furnished with brackets or lateralprojections A A and provided with supporting-wheels B B. The two wheels, B, at one end of said beam or stretcher are flanged and are adapted to travel along atrack-rail, G, and a designates an arm projecting downward fromsaid carriage and engaging with alaterally-extending lip or flange, a, on said rail. By these means the wheels B are guided on the rail 0,

and are prevented from rising therefromf Near the other end of said beam or stretcher A, and journaled on the brackets A, are wheels B, which are adapted to run or travel along a track-rail, G. The rails G O extend parallel with each other, andare at right angles to the length of the, beam or stretcher A. The

beam or stretcher A may advantageously consist of an I-beam of rolled iron, made as light as is consistent with the necessary strength, and it may be strengthened by truss-rods b, as shown in Fig. 1, to prevent deflection.

The sewing-machine consists, essentially, of a long arm, 1), through which extends ashaft, c, for operating the 'needlebar d, and another long arm,D,to the outer end of which the workplate d is attached, as best shown in Fig, 1. The shaft 0 constitutes the operating-shaft of the sewing-machine.- In connection with the needle I employ a looper, hook, or other stitch-forming device, the shaft of which extends within the lower arm, D, of the machine, and is operated by a cam and rod or other ordinary connectionsfrom the operating-shaft c. V

The connections for operating the shaft of the stitch-forming device from the operating- .shaft 0 may be arranged in the hollow frame of the machine, as iscommonly done, and to operate both the needle and the stitch-forming device it is only necessary to impart arotary motion to the operating-shaft c, which I do by means hereinafter described.

Near the outer or front end of the long arm, D are bolted frames or supports D D, which depend or project downward on opposite sides of the beam or stretcher A, and in which is journaled a roller or wheel, 6, bearing and adapted to travel on the top of the said beam or stretcher A.

Near the rear orinner end of the long arm D are bolted frames or supports D D, which de pend or extend downward on opposite sides of the beam or stretcher A, and in which isjournaled a roller or wheel, 0, which bears on the top of the beam or stretcher A. The rollers or wheels 6 e bear on top of the beam or stretcher A near its opposite edges, and are provided with flanges e, which project down on opposite sides of the top flange, f, of the beam or stretcher A, and thus prevent lateral displacement. ry guide-rollers e, which bear on opposite edges of the lower flange, f, of the beam or stretcher A, and thus prevent canting or tilting of the sewing-machine from side to side; The frames or supports D carry rollers c, which bear on the under side of the top flange,

f, of the beam or stretcher'A, and thus pre-' vent the sewing-machine from rising.

From the above description it will be clear that the frames orsupports D D D*, with their wheels and rollers a e e" e", constitute a second carriage, to which the sewing-machine D D is secured, and which is capable of movement in a direction lengthwise of the beam or stretcher A, while the first carriage, with the second carriage and superposed sewing-machine mounted upou it, is capable of movement in the direction of the rails O O.

The construction of the two carriages hereinabove described is very advantageous, both because of its strength and simplicity and because of the very firm support afforded the second carriage against canting or tilting from side to side and against rising up.

The frames or supports D' D also car I will now describe how motion is imparted to the operating-shaft c of the sewing-machine.

Near the rail 0 is a long drum or cylinder, 1*], which is supported in stationary bearings g, only one of which is shown, and to which rotary motion is imparted by a belt driving onto a pulley, r/, atone end of the drum, as shown in Fig. 2. Only a portion of thelength of this drum is shown; but it has a continuous rotary motion, and the first carriage moves above it in the direction of its length.

E designates a pulley journaled on a stud, 1 projecting from the side of the beam or stretcher A, and adapted to rotate freely thereon. The pulley E moves with the first carriage, while the driving-drum E does not; but the distance. between the centers of said pulley and drum is fixed and always remains the same.

F designates a shaft, which is journaled in the frames D D of the second carriage, and on which are fast and loose pulleys h h, and ranging vertically with said pulleys is an idlerpulley, h which is adapted to turn freely on a stud projecting from the frame D".

G designates a belt which passes around the drum E and the pulley E, and which in its course partly encirclesthe pulleys h if, as best shown in Fig. 4. This belt receives a continnous motion from the driving-drum E. -Its tension is preserved at all times, because the distance between the drum and the pulley E is invariable, and as it passes around the pulley h it imparts rotary motion to the crossshaft F. \Vhen the first carriage moves on the rails O C, the belt G and the pulleys E h h h all move with the first and second carriages and the sewing-machine, the belt sliding along-the drum E lengthwise thereof, and as the second carriage travels along the beam or stretcher A the pulleys h Mia? move along the upper portion of the belt which encin cles them. Consequently it will be seen that the belt G imparts motion to the shaft F in whatsoever position the second carriage and sewing machine may be on the beam or stretcher A. The belt G is controlled by a shipper-rod, I)", which extends transversely tl'rough the frames D D, and is attached to an arm, 7r, projecting from a rock'shaft, If. The said shaft has a handle, 71, whereby it may be turned, and by turning it the belt G will be shifted from the fast pulley it onto the loose pulley h, and the shaft F will be stopped.

Upon the shaft F is a pull y. t, from which a belt, i, passes to a pulley; f, on a shaft, G, which is supported in bearings at the rear end of the sewing-machine.

Upon the shaft G is a pulley, i, from which a quartertwist belt, i", drives onto a pulley, c, on the needle-operating shaft 0. By this mechanism the needle-bar (l is operated from the shaft F during the bodily movement of the sewing-machine, and when th shalt F is stopped by shifting the belt G, as ClOSUllbGd,

the bodily movement of the sewingmachine will cease, and motion will no longer be transmitted to the needle-bin (I.

H designates a vertical shaft, which carries at its upper end a worm-wheel, j, and on the oross-shaft F is a worm or screw, j, which gears into said wheel and imparts rotary motion to said wheel and shaft ll.

The manner of supporting the vertical shaft H is best shown in Fig. 5, but also in Figs. 1, 2, and The frame 1.) is constructed with three bearings, 7.; It 7;, and the worm-wheel j is held between the bearings 1.: It. The upper portion of the shaft H is grooved at as shown in Fig. 5, and the wheel j has a feather or key in its bore, which enters such groove. By such means the said shaft and wheel are locked together, so that the wheel in turning turns the shaft, and yet "provision is afforded for the shaft to move upward and downward through the wheel. The portion of the shaft H which passes through the bearing 7.." is surrounded by a sleeve, '1, which is arranged between a shoulder, Z, near the lower end of the shaft and a collar, P, fast on said shaft above the bearing l".

To the sleeve 1 is connected a lover, I, fulorumed at Z, and by manipulating this lever the shaft H and sleeve Z may be raised, for a purpose soon to be described. \Vhen the lever I is in its upward position, as shown in Fig.

jectiing flanges or a.

1, its rear end may be supported on a rest, Z, and its weight will thus be prevented from raising the shaft H accidentally.

At the lower end the shaft H is enlarged, so as to form a socket, Z in which is fitted a stem, at, which projects upward. from a pinion, m, and is secured in said socket by a setscrew, Z, or other means, and just above the pinion m, andbetween it and the end of the shaft ll, is a roller, ou which is free to turn freely on the stem at, and is slightly larger in diameter than the pinion m.

The pattern employed consists, essentially,o'f a pattern-board, J, fixed in a horizontal position below the carriages, and having fast on its upper side or face pairs of upwardly-pro- (Shown in Fig. 5.) The distance between the flanges of each pair is Slightly greater than the diameter ofthe roller m and to the flange a secured a rack, a with which the pinion m is adapted to engage. \Vhen the shaft H and pinion m are lowered, as shown in the dotted portion of Fig. 5, the pinion engages with the rack or, and by its rotary motion wiil move the shaft H bodily along the rack, the carriages permitting the universal movement of said shaft.

As before stated, the roller on is somewhat larger in diameter than the pinion m, and yet somewhat less in diameter than the space between the ilanges a n. Theroller will therefore turn in one direction or the other, as it bears against one or other of said flanges, and will at all times lceep the pinion from binding on said ilzimges.

The pattern .l', which is here shown, comprises several pairs of flanges, n a, extending round the patterirboard, the flanges of each pair being separate and distinct from those ofthe other pairs, and still other pairs of flanges which are arranged to produce a foliated central figure, as seen in Fig. 2. In order to remove the pinion in from engagement with the rack at of one pair of llanges, the shaft H and said pinion are raised, as shown in 5, and

the carriages and sewinganaehinc may then be shifted by hand to bring the pinion into position to be dropped between the flanges of another pair. Before thus moving the shaft H the shaft F is stopped, and hence the pinion m is no longerrotated. K designates upright frames,'to which the fabric 0 is secured in a stretched and extended condition, andin any suitable manner-as, for example, by teir ter-pins on said framesand as the second carriage and sewing-machine are moved universally by the engagement of the pinion m with the rack a the first carriage moves freely to permit such movement, and the needle cl of the sewing-machine D D will reproduce on the fabric 0 the design delineated on the pat tern J. The rack a constitutes the pattern,

and the flanges a. it constitute guides, Where by the pinion-wheel m is held in engagement with the pattern-rack n. r The long drum E enables the belt G to be moved along the drum lengthwise thereof. A shalt having a pulley secured to it by a feather, so as to provide for the sliding ofthe pulley along the shaft, might be substituted for the drum, and would be the full mechanical equivalent thereof.

As I have before stated, the two parallel flanges a it constitute a guide in pattern form on the pattern J, and, broadly considered, the

shaft H is the device through which the said guide controls the movement of the second carriage and superposed sewing machine. The anti-friction roller in? is the part which engages directly with said guide; but both said roller and the pinion m may to a certain extent be considered as a part of the shaft H.

I do not claim, broadly, as of my invention the combination, in a quilting-machine, with a fabric-holder and a sewing-machine, of movable supports for one of said parts, consisting of two carriages, one mounted upon the other, and movable in directions transverse to each other, the first or lower carriage being capable offree movement in order to permit a universal movement of the second or upper carriage, a guide in pattern form and a shaft or device connected with the second carriage and engaging with said guide, whereby the movements of said carriages are controlled. Neither do I claim, broadly, the combination, with a fabric-holder and a seWingmachine, of movable supports for one of said parts, consisting of two-carriages, one mounted upon the other, and movable in directions transverse to each other, the first carriage being capable of free movement in order to permit a universal move in cut of the second carriage, and pattern mechanism connected with the second carriage for controlling the movements of said carriages, and consisting of a track in pattern form and a positively rotated wheel or other positivelyoperating device engaging with the patterntrack, whereby the change in relative position between the pattern-track and engaging device will be produced by the operation of the engaging device upon the track.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a quiltingmachine, the combination of supports for a fabric, two carriages movable in directions transverse to each other, and one mounted upon the other, a sewing-machine supported by the second carriage, a pattern, and means, as track of, shaft H, and wheel m, for controllingthe movements of the sewing-machine carriage, the first carriage being capable of free movement in order to permit a universal movement of the second carriage and its superposed sewing-machine,

a driving-shaft in fixed bearings, and mechanism,substantially such as herein described,

for transmitting rotary motion from said driving-shaft to the operating-shaft of the sewing. machine, substantially as herein set forth.

2. In a quilting-machine, the combination of'afabric-holder and a sewing-machine, movable supports for one of said parts, a pattern comprising guide-ilangesa a in pattern form, a shaft, H, connected with said movable supports, and a iriction-roller, W, on said shaft engaging with the guide-flanges, whereby the movement of said supports maybe controlled, substantially as herein described.

The combination, with fabricsupports and a sewing-machine for operating on a fabric held by said fabric-supports, of movable sup ports for the sewingunachine, pattern mechanism for controlling the movement of the sew ing-machine supports, consisting of a track in pattern form, a shaft carried by the sewingmachine supports, a wheel upon said shaft gearing with said track, and an endless belt and gearing for imparting rotary motion to the wheel upon said shaft, and for rotating the operating shaft of said sewing-machine, substantially as herein described.

The combination of supports for a fabric, a sewinginachine for operating upon a fabric held by said supports, movable supports for said sewing-machine, a pattern, as J, on which is delineated or formed a design, arranged below the sewingmachine, and its support, and means, as shaft I-I, through which the pattern controls the movements of said sewing-machine, substantially as herein described.

5. In a quilting-machine, the combination, with supports for holding a fabric extended, of acarriage and rails whereon itis movable, a rotary driving-dru n1 arranged in fixed bearings parallel with the line of movement of said carriage near one end thereof, a pulley attached to the carriage near the other end thereof, a second carriage movable upon the first carriage ,in directions transverse to the line of movement of said first carriage, a sewing-machine carried by saidsecond carriage for operating on the extended fabric, pulleys attached to said second carriage, an endless belt passing around the driving-drum and the pulley of the first carriage and partly en circling the pulleys on the second carriage, and mechanism for imparting motion from the pulleys on said second carriage to the operating shaft of the sewing-machine, substantially as herein described.

6. In a quilting-machine, the combination, with two carriages movablein directions trans verse to each other, and a sewing-machine mounted on the second or upper carriage, of p the driving-drum E, the pulley E on the first carriage, the pulleys h 7L2 on the second carriage, the driving-belt G, passing around the drum E and the pulley E and partly encircling the pulleys h Jr, the horizontal crossshaft F, on which is the pulley h, and mech anism for imparting motion to the operatingshaft of the sewing-machine from said shaft F, substantially as herein described.

7. In a quilting-machine, the combination, with supports for a fabric, of two carriages movable in directions transverse to each other, a sewing-machine mounted upon the second or upper carriage, the driving-drum E, the pulley Eon the first carriage, the cross-shaft F, the pulleys h if '2 movable with the second carriage, the driving-belt G, the shaft G on the sewingmachine carriage, the pulleys t t, the needle-operating shaft 0 and its pulley c, and the belts t" i", substantially as herein described.

8. In a quiltinganachine, the combination, with supports for a fabric, of two carriages movable in directions transverse to each other, a sewing-machine on the second or upper carriage, the cross-shaft F on the second carriage, the driving-drum E, the pulley E on the first carriage, the pulley it upon the shaft F, and the pulley h on the said second carriage, the endless drivingbelt G, a pattern, as rack of, arranged parallel with the plane of movement of said carriages, devices, as shaft H and wheel on, engaging with said pattern, and operated by the cross-shaft F, for effecting the movement of said sewing-machine and carriage, and mechanism whereby the operatingshaft of the sewing-machine is rotated from said shaft F, substantially as here-in described.

9. Ina quiltingri'nachine, the combination, with fabric-supports, two carriages movable in directions transverse to each other, and a sewing-nn'tchine mounted on the second carriage, of the rotary driving-drum E, the pulley E on the first carriage, the cross-shaft F and pulleys h h on said second carriage, the endless driving-belt or band G, the vertical shaft H, supported in bearings on said second carriage, the WOIDl'WhQGI j and worm j, connecting the shafts F H, a pattern arranged parallel with the plane of the movement of said carriages, and a wheel on the shaft H, engaging with the pattern, substantially as herein described.

10. In a quilting-machine, the combination, with fzibricsupports, two carriages movable in directions transverse to each other and one mounted upon the other, and a sewing-machine on the second carriage, of the drivingdrum E and the pulley E, the shafts F H, carried by the second carriage and geared together, the pulley h on the shaft F, the pulley hf on the second carriage, the endless belt G, the pattern J, the wheelm on the shaft H, and means for moving said shaft H axially to dis engage the wheel. m from the pattern .T, substantiall y as herein described.

11. In a quilting-machine, the combination of fabric-supports and a sewing-machine for operating on a fabric, two carriages movable in directions transverse to each other and one mounted upon the other, the shaft H, sup ported by the second carriage, gearing for rotating said shaft H, the worm-wheel. j, arranged between the bearings 7t, and locked to the shaft, the sleeve Z, surrounding the shaft in the bearing 7c, the lever I, connected with said sleeve for moving said sleeve and shaft axially, the wheel m on said shaft H, and a pattern-track with which said wheel may on gage, substantially as herein described.

12. In aquiltingmachine, the combination,

with fabricsupports and a sewingmachine for operating on a fabric held by said sup ports, of pattern mechanism for controlling the relative position of the fabric and needle, consisting of the rack n and the flange n, ex tending parallel therewith, an axially-mova ble rotary shaft H, and a pinion, m, carried by said shaft, and engaging with said rack, substantially as herein described.

13. In a quilting-machine, the combination,

with fabricsupports and a sewing-machine A for operating on a fabric held by said supports, of a pattern mechanism for controlling the relative position of the fabric and needle, consisting of a rack, a and parallel flanges a n, which project beyond said rack, an ax ially-movable rotary shaft, H, a pinion, m, thereon, and a friction-roller, W, for operating on said flanges, substantially as herein described.

14. In a quilting-machin e, the combination, with fabric-supports and a sewing-machine for operating on a fabric, of a pattern mechanism for controlling the relative position of the fabric and needle, consisting of a patternrack, an axially-movable rotary shaft H, having a socket, Z, in its end, and a pinion, m, having a stem, m, detach-ably secured in said socket, and a frictiolrroller, m", on said stem between the end of the shaft H and said pinion, substantially as herein described.

15. In a quilting-machine, the combination, with fabricsupports and a sewing-machine for operating on a fabric held by said sup ports, of a pattern mechanism for controlling the relative position of the fabric and needle, consisting of a pattern-rack, a shaft, H, having a pinion, m, at its end, a sleeve, Z, surrounding said shaft between the shoulder Z andthe collar Z the bearing wherein said sleeve is axially movable, the bearings it h for the said shaft, the wheel j, through which said shaft mayslide, and the lever I, connected with said sleeve for moving said shaft, and the pinion carried by it axially, substantia'ly as herein described.

16. In a quiltingniachine, the combination,

with fabric-supports, of a lower carriage consisting of an I-beam or stretcher A, mounted on wheels B B, the sewing-machine D D, and side frames, D D D D", depending on oppo site sides of the beam or stretcher, and provided with rollers or wheels adapted to travel on said beam or stretcher, and constituting a second carriage, substantially as herein de scribed.

17. In a quilting-machine, the combination,

verse to each other and one mounted upon the other, of a sewing-machine on said second carriage, supports whereon afabric may be held, a pattern, as J, arranged below said carriages, and means, as shaft H, through which said pattern controls the. movements of the sewing-machine to produce a design on the fabric, substantially as herein described.

19. In a quilting-machine, the combination, with supports for a fabric,of a sewing-machine l for operating on said fabric, two carriages movablein directions transverse to each other, and, on one of which said sewing-machine is supported, the other carriage being capable of free movement to permit a universal movement of the sewing-machine, a pattern consisting of a track, a wheel engaging with and moving along said track by its rotation, a shaft, F, upon the sewing-machine carriage. an endless belt, G, for rotating said shaft, and l mechanism, substantially such as described, through which motion is transmitted from said shaft to the said wheel and to the operatingshaft of the sewing-machine, substantially as herein described.

20. In a quilting-machine, the combination of fabric -supports for holding a fabric extended, a sewingmachine for operating on the fabric, movable supports for the sewingmachine, a pattern, as J, having a design to 0 

